


Lover

by orphan_account



Category: Love Island (Video Game)
Genre: Confessions, F/M, Fluff, Love, Taylor Swift - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-26
Updated: 2019-09-16
Packaged: 2020-09-27 03:00:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,400
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20400571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: A collection of Bobby x MC fanfiction inspired by songs from the album Lover by Taylor Swift(essentially just them being in love with a theme for each chapter)(The Archer, Cruel Summer, Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince)





	1. The Archer

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter is inspired by The Archer
> 
> "Help me hold on to you, I've been the archer, I've been the prey, screaming who could ever leave me, darling, but who could stay?"
> 
> Disclaimer: I used some of Fusebox's dialogue/plot and took some of my own liberties with it, too.

Half an hour ago, Valerie was on top of the world. After spending a dreadful three days away from the Villa at Casa Amor, she was back and so was Bobby. 

The second he walked in alone, she felt her heart almost burst with happiness, as tears almost began to form in her eyes. He was all she wanted in their time apart, with no other boys taking her fancy quite like Bobby did. Her desire for him only became bigger with each night she spent outside on the daybeds, struggling to close her eyes and fall asleep. But all that was over now, for he was right in front of her, his huge smile mirroring hers. 

Valerie leapt to her feet in delight, biting her lip to contain her shrieks of excitement. Bobby paced over after announcing his single status and wrapped his arms around her and held her tight in front of the blazing fire pit. The other islanders were a blur around them to Valerie as all she could focus on was kissing him, holding him, finally having him back, all to herself. Their kiss was deep, full of passion and security. This was all the two had been dreaming of since they saw each other last on the morning the girls left for Casa Amor. Neither of them could stop grinning, especially not when they pulled apart, their faces mere inches away from each others with their eyes only focused on the pair in front of them. 

“I missed you so much,” Bobby breathed, his eyes twinkling in the sheer happiness he was feeling towards the girl in front of him.

“I missed you, too. I couldn’t bear being apart from you,” She felt a blush come across her cheeks but she didn’t care, she had her boy back and that was all that mattered. 

Bobby leaned in to kiss her again, his hand on the back of Valerie’s neck while the other remained snaked around her waist. It deepened, sparking lust between them both and a want for each other. Valerie caught the feeling that she never wanted to be apart from him again, that she always wanted to be his. 

She always melted under his touch with the connection between them almost electrocuting her when they shared intimate moments. Her heart couldn’t stop pounding as her mind screamed out her want for Bobby. 

The islanders suddenly came back into focus, as they reacted to their reunion. Chelsea’s “aww” the loudest of them all, with Lottie’s scoff a close second. Valerie and Bobby pulled apart, their eyes never losing contact while they knew their moment would continue later. 

Bobby’s cheeks were red as he took a few breaths to maintain his composure, just before he introduced himself to the new boys, Graham and Elijah, brought back from Casa Amor. 

“I’m happy for you, Marisol,” Bobby grinned at his friend. 

“Thank you, you look pretty pleased yourself,” Marisol chuckled. 

Bobby gazed at Valerie standing next to him, to which Valerie felt her heart pound in her chest with that simple look. Fuck, she thought, I’ve really fallen for him, haven’t I? 

“You bet,” He gave Valerie a cheeky smile that quickly turned into one full of adoration. The twinkle in his eyes returned and Valerie knew she was done for. Having time apart just made it all that much intense for her. 

She realised she was falling for Bobby before Casa Amor, back before the disaster recoupling that messed everything up. She knew it was bizarre, falling for somebody you’ve known for just over two weeks, how absurd. But even her mind couldn’t deter her heart with his, for she was completely under his spell and couldn’t ignore the deep rooted emotions for much longer. She never wanted him to leave her life. 

Bobby gave Valerie a final kiss, before they both sat down in their positions, with Bobby next to Marisol and Valerie next to Chelsea. 

Lucas, who Valerie was previously coupled up with just before Casa Amor, much to her dismay, walked in with a girl. She recognised her from the video they got sent, showing what the boys were getting up to. Valerie couldn’t have cared less, if anything, she was just happy this meant she was no longer coupled up with him. She could be with Bobby, once again. 

“Oh,” Lucas sounded shocked when he spotted Valerie sitting alone. “I thought you’d switch.” 

“I’m a loyal person but for someone else,” Her eyes mindlessly travelled to Bobby who smirked in satisfaction. “I’m glad you found somebody, though.” 

Valerie was sincere with what she said.

“I’m Blake,” The girl introduced herself to Valerie, rather coldly. 

“I’m Valerie,” She smiled, attempting to be as polite as possible and hoping she misinterpreted Blake’s introduction. 

“Isn’t she kind of similar to Valerie?” Chelsea pipped up. 

Valerie loved Chelsea, she was always there for her and just bursted with positivity. But there were times when she said or did things without thinking, forcing Valerie to wish Chelsea hadn’t as it only made things more complicated, or in this situation specifically, more awkward. 

“We aren’t alike at all,” Blake snapped, offended by the comparison. 

Valerie was taken aback, her jaw dropping at the reaction of the girl in front of her. What was her deal, she wondered. 

“I’m not one of those girls that has to try hard all the time, like Valerie,” Blake’s tone was blunt and her hand on her hip demonstrated her belief in her statement. 

“Excuse me?” Valerie raised an eyebrow at her, frustrated by the insult. 

Ever since she came to the villa, she was as genuine as she could be. Throughout her life, she had struggled with accepting herself, scared of what people would think, scared of what people would say. Yet she overcame it and vowed to never be afraid of whether people would judge her or not and to always become true to herself. Valerie was so proud of herself for this, for years it was her greatest weakness. And her entire time in the villa was spent being sincere. Bobby knew this, during an intimate conversation they had one night when neither of them could sleep. She opened up to him, telling him about some of her issues in the past, and Bobby was aware that Valerie was struggling with exposing it to him, so he reassured her that all the things she faced could never make her appear differently to him. That was one of the things she loved about Bobby, how comforting he was and how safe she felt when it came to opening up to him. He still beamed at her like she was the only girl in the world after that conversation, much to Valerie’s surprise. 

“I know you’ve been trying so hard since you’ve been here but all I had to do was be myself,” Blake smirked as if she had become some kind of champion. Instead, she just appeared more like a villain to most of the islanders. 

Valerie was speechless, unable to think clearly with all the voices coming back into her head at full speed, spinning around and around, almost pausing reality around her. Have you been trying hard? Is this really you? What if it’s all a lie? What if she’s right? The evil voices coerced her deepest insecurities into revealing themselves in the forefront of her mind, making Valerie visibly distressed and forcing her to keep her eyes focused down at her lap. 

Bobby stood up, noticing Valerie’s lack of response, and held her hand tightly, “I really don’t know what show you’ve been watching but Val’s been nothing but true to herself and everyone else this entire time. If you’re going to start drama because she was coupled up with Lucas before, at least get your damn facts right. And you shouldn’t even be bothered by that for obvious reasons.” 

He was angry, his voice filled with spite that somebody would dare say that about the girl he wanted to be with, the girl he had grown so close to. And that girl remained silent for a moment, as she fought the voices to listen to the boy she was falling for, defend her. 

Valerie raised her head, to look at Bobby who looked pissed. She hardly ever saw him like that because he always wanted everybody to get along. But that didn’t matter, it seemed, when it came to somebody defacing Valerie. Her heart skipped a beat, her breath hitched in the back of her throat and she sat paralysed by her affection towards him. He had taken her heart and he didn’t have the slightest clue. It scared her, if she was being honest, for somebody to have that kind of hold over her but in moments like this, she doubted he would do anything to ever break what was in his possession. She squeezed his hand, signalling that she was coming back to real life, with the thoughts pushed to the back of her mind. 

He instantly gazed over to her, his eyes sparking with a twinkle as he saw her with a small smile upon her slightly smudged lipstick from their recent reunion. Valerie gently pulled, so as to tell him that she wanted him to sit next to her. Bobby seemed to understand and the next thing she knew, he was sitting closely to her, their thighs touching as he placed his arm around her, to which she gratefully leaned into. She rested her head on his shoulder and whispered, “Thank you babe,” into his clothed chest. 

Bobby ran his fingers over the hair on the top of her head and kissed her forehead, “I won’t let anybody say that shit to you, ever.” 

There wasn’t a doubt that the vibe around the fire pit had shifted dramatically, the islanders quickly realising that the reunion was now over. Most of them told Valerie she was rude and wrong, comforting her with hugs. 

“I’m sorry I said that,” Chelsea winced. “She’s just a dumb weather reporter and has nothing on you.” 

“Yeah, we all know her true colours now,” Priya chimed in. 

“Thank you, guys,” Valerie smiled, “And don’t worry about it Chels, my emotions have just been all over the place these past few days and Blake’s bullshit was not what I needed.” 

Still in Bobby's arms, she rested her head on his chest, closing her eyes softly and focusing on his heartbeat. It sped up the longer she remained in that position, even beating irregularly with each small adjustment she'd make to her posture. 

The islanders dispersed, leaving Valerie and Bobby alone.

Valerie felt so safe, so secure and she realised she never wanted to let this boy go. He made her happy, so happy like she had never been before. And she knew she needed to tell him. 

"Babe, can we go to the roof terrace?" She beamed up at him.

"Of course," He held her hand and led her into the villa, up the stairs and through the dressing room to the terrace. 

The stars were glistening above, the sky almost pitch black. Valerie stared at it for a few moments, taking her time to make herself calm as what she was about to say petrified her. 

The two sat on the roof terrace, their backs turned against the villa. Their hands intertwined like it was second nature to the both of them. 

"I need to tell you something," Valerie stared, looking down at the floor. 

"What's up?" A slight concern was present in Bobby's voice and he flinched just a little.

She noticed this and gripped his hand tighter and softly spoke, "It's not bad, I'm just..." She trailed off, trying to work up the courage, "I'm afraid." 

"You can tell me anything," He smiled.

Her heart was erratic, despite the comforting influence he had over her. What if this scared him? What if he didn't want me to feel this way? 

"I don't want to scare you or make you feel like you have to do anything. I just need to let you know how I'm feeling," He stared at her until she finally looked up to meet his eyes.

He didn't say anything but he didn't have to, his eyes were soft and so full of adoration, and instantly her mind was racing, trying to find the best way to tell him that she was falling for him. 

"I'm scared. Everyone leaves my life, they come and then they go and it's like nobody ever sticks around. I've lost so many people in the past, so many and fuck it hurts. And I really, really don't want to lose you. I want you to stay because I've never felt this way before, this quickly or intense. And I'm so tired of losing people I love. It’s like I can’t ever get anybody to stay and I don’t know if it’s me or something else, but it always happens. They’re gone and I’m alone. Everybody just becomes ghosts,” Valerie’s words were tumbling out, too scared to stop in case he said she was crazy. “But, I, I, I really don’t want that to be you, like I don’t want you to be just another person I knew. I’m falling for you. And all I want is for you to stay,” She shut her eyes as soon as she stopped talking, terrified to see his reaction. 

He pulled her into a hug immediately, rubbing her back soothingly. 

“Babe, are you really feeling that way?”

Valerie lifted her head and backed away slightly. Her eyes were locked on his, fighting her urge to seek guidance among the eerily peaceful abyss in the sky.

“Yeah, it’s like I was missing you so much at Casa Amor even though it was three days that I got scared what would happen if you ever left.”

Bobby leaned in, his face just before hers as both of their hearts raced faster than their minds, their passion for each other barely remaining inside of their veins. He couldn’t do it anymore, this waiting, so he kissed her, lovingly and filled with all the devotion he felt towards her. Valerie accepting, kissing back with an equal amount of ardour, placing her hand on the back of his head. Bobby’s hand wrapped around her waist, the pair deepening this kiss as if this were all they had to give, which in a sense it was, for the love for the other consumed them. 

“I,” He pulled away a small amount and rested his forehead on Valerie’s, “I’m falling for you, too.” A blush adorned his cheeks, afraid to share such an intimate moment. 

Valerie smiled, her eyes positively lighting up with bliss. 

“And I don’t want to leave you, either. I promise I’m not going anywhere, I don’t ever want to hurt you like anybody else did. I could never do that to you.” 

It was Valerie’s turn to be shocked, for he perfectly diminished the insecurity that hid among all the cruel voices in her head. She almost couldn’t believe a boy this wonderful was falling for her. It was like a dream, a real life fantasy all come to life and handed to her, in the form of the most beautiful baker she’d ever known - and would ever know. 

“Thank you,” She chuckled at herself. 

“No, thank you. I’m glad I make you feel that way and I’m so happy you told me because honestly, I was a little afraid to tell you how I was feeling,” Bobby sighed, the blush returning to his face. 

Valerie’s eyebrows furrowed, partially in disbelief, “Babe, how many times do I need to remind you that you never have to worry with me?” She softly asked him the rhetorical question, desperate to know him that he never had to be scared around her, “I want to know what you’re feeling, good or bad. I will always be here for you, without a single doubt, just like you’ve been for me.” 

They sat in silence, admiring the sanctuary of the night, despite the events from earlier on. In that moment, under the twinkling stars on the rooftop, they could only care about the other who’s arms they were cuddled up in. Valerie couldn’t stop thinking about how euphoric it felt to be falling for somebody who was falling for her, too, without any question of loyalty or deceit, an extreme contrast to previous relationships. And it was then that she accepted it would only be a matter of time before she was fully in love with the man who’s chest her head rested upon, who’s fingers were gently stroking her hair. And only the stars and Bobby knew that he shared the same thoughts, his heart aching at the thought of ever letting go of the beautiful girl listening to his breathing inside of his arms.


	2. Cruel Summer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is inspired by Cruel Summer by Taylor Swift. 
> 
> "I don't want to keep secrets just to keep you and I snuck in through the garden gate every night that summer just to seal my fate and I scream 'for whatever it's worth, I love you, ain't that the worst thing you ever heard?' He looks up grinning like a devil."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> basically MC is in love with Bobby but can't actually be with him and it is driving her crazy

The night was like how every other night in the villa seemed to go lately, the drama surrounding everyone else but Valerie, stupid arguments that never seemed to have any real drive behind them. Jealousy, miscommunication, pettiness all the seemed to thrive within Jo, Elisa and Shannon. Chelsea was involved, too, apparently a ‘gossip-sneezer’ - Elisa’s words, not hers. Valerie wanted nothing to do with it, backing up Chelsea as she always had her back. The second Jo and Elisa walked into the villa, she knew there’d be drama and the atmosphere would change, but she didn’t have a clue it would have been this stupid. 

She perched on one of the day beds with a cocktail in her hand. The liquid went down her throat quicker than usual, hoping to ease the stress of the bullshit she continued to be dragged into. Valerie didn’t have a single role in the drama yet she was called to be the peacemaker when all she wanted was to spend time with Bobby. She was coupled up with Elijah, since the recoupling the day after they returned from Casa Amor. Valerie had a feeling Gary would choose Chelsea, so she chose Elijah, aware of how much Chels fancied him. All she wanted to do was make her friend happy, one of her closest friends as of late, but instead, he tried to graft on her. She made it clear to him she just wanted to be friends and even encouraged him to graft on Chelsea again, but the boy seemed to not get the message. 

Just three days ago, she told Bobby she was falling for him. They spent that night together, cuddling in one of the daybeds and gazing up at the sky, talking about the future, _their future. _But then that damned recoupling had to happen and fuck everything up. 

Her heart yearned to spend the rest of her time here with Bobby, not wanting to waste it all dealing with this stupid girl drama and Lottie’s strange idea of ‘girl code’ that seemed to change to suit her. 

Valerie adjusted her black crop top, worn with a short red skirt, enjoying the silence she created for herself. The girls were off somewhere, likely arguing with Chelsea getting brought in whenever the pressure was on Elisa to explain. Just leave her out of it, Valerie wanted to snap, but even just imagining the drama it would cause, she remained quiet and instead walked away. 

“Need some company?” She turned to her to see Bobby grinning at her. 

She moved to the right, showing her gratidue to his offer. 

Without hesitation, his hand wrapped around her shoulders and she instantly leaned into his touch. His shirt was soft yet all that was in her mind was how much she wanted to rip it off him. 

“You okay, babe?” He placed a soft kiss to the top of her head, breathing in the scent of her shampoo. 

Valerie tensed a little, hesitant to spend one of the scarce moments they had together ranting about all the stupid drama in the villa. Instead, she said nothing and slowly traced patterns on the fabric of his shirt. 

She couldn’t help the butterflies in her stomach, the voice in her head screaming at her for how quickly she had developed serious feelings for this boy, nor could she help the way she just wanted to hold him for the rest of her life. He promised her that he wouldn’t leave her, that he wanted to stay in her life and ever since, her feelings entirely consumed her, overwhelming with her heart shouting, ‘You love him.’ 

And that was true. And it was fast. Valerie didn’t know what to do, she almost couldn’t breathe without being caught up in drama. Her fingers moved from his shirt to his hand - her new surface for tracing the patterns. 

“I just,” She took a moment to breathe, looking up at him only to find that Bobby was gazing down at her. Anybody a mile away could notice their connection, the absolute passion within their eyes when they were together. And they did. 

The islanders looked over at them, particularly Elijah who was by the pool with Chelsea, getting her alone for the first time since the drama. Neither of them noticed the attention, though. That was until Elijah called out to her, “Valerie, can we get your, uh, opinion?” 

It was evident to both Valerie and Bobby that he couldn’t have cared less about her damn opinion. He just hated how close they were in that moment. The whole thing was unfair. Hope and Noah were allowed to be together, with every single person rooting for them. It was sweet and adorable when they shared a bed. But with Valerie and Bobby? They didn’t receive the same reactions, irking the former as the pair had been together since the beginning, without any of the bullshit fights and pettiness that Hope and Noah had been through. She wondered if she’d ever get to be with him again, if she’d ever be allowed to cuddle up to her boy when she was having an absolutely horrible night. 

Valerie rolled her eyes and sat up from Bobby, who shared a similar reaction. She didn’t want to go, she didn’t want to have to leave him. It was so cruel, she thought, that we have to only be together in secret, that I can’t proclaim my love for him to the entire villa. 

“I’m sorry babe,” She gulped and glanced down at her skirt. 

“It’s okay, I’ll find you later, alright? It’s not your fault the guy can’t take a hint,” Bobby expressed his frustration, to which she just chuckled in agreement. 

She knocked back the rest of her cocktail, desperate for some further release. 

“I’ll bring you a refill soon, just when he starts getting too comfortable,” He took her empty glass and smirked. 

“You are ridiculous,” She laughed, without meaning any of those words, “I’d appreciate that. Thank you.” 

“Anything for you, love,” He squeezed her hand before she left. And her heart just raced in response. Why the fuck can’t I just be with him, she thought, why can’t I have my happy ending? 

She slowly strolled over to Elijah and Chelsea, anticipating Bobby’s intrusion, hoping he’d come when it was bound to be awkward. 

“Hey Valerie!” Chelsea smiled warmly. 

“Hi,” Elijah’s low greeting was a stark contrast to Chelsea’s. 

Valerie sat down next to Chelsea, displaying her vexation to being interrupted, “Hey,” She grinned at the girl, only to give a small smile to the boy. 

She was curious at to what he’d say: whether he’d actually come up with something to ask her about or whether he’d stutter through it, backtracking to the point where he didn’t even know what he was intending to say. Chelsea would be a good indication of it, she figured. That girl can’t take a hint for her life but that was what made her a good friend to Valerie. She was in her own little bubble and away with the fairies, if you will. 

Nobody spoke for a moment, the silence diluted by the other conversations echoing in the villa and the soft ripples in the pool. 

“So, what did you want my opinion on?” The spite intoxicated her words. 

Of course, she understood where he was coming from, but at the same time, she just wanted some damn alone time with the boy she loved. I love, she repeated in her head, I really do love him and I can’t even be with him for five minutes. This villa was crazy sometimes. 

“Uh,” Elijah paused and Valerie resisted the temptation to roll her eyes. “About the situation, you know, with Chelsea. What do you think?” 

She glanced at him with a look of shock twisted with amusement. His cover was the one thing she wanted to escape from. The one fucking thing she didn’t want to talk about. Bobby wouldn’t have talked about it, he wouldn’t have said a word unless she wanted him to. Bobby wouldn’t have interrupted her and he sure as hell wouldn’t have been annoyed at the girl he was coupled up with spending time with the one she wanted to be with, only to pull her into a conversation he was having with a girl he wanted to crack on with. Of course, Bobby wouldn’t have had a thing to worry about, but in her mind, she couldn’t help the comparisons. He had a heart of gold. That’s another thing she _loved_ about him. 

“Seriously? This again?” She scoffed. 

Chelsea shifted uncomfortably next to her and Elijah just stared at Valerie, “I just wanted to know your take on it. You’re honest.” 

That annoyed her. Was he indirecting me? Was he referring to me not being honest? Valerie wanted to scream out the questions, so ready to tell him she was truly honest. Elijah knew where her head was, he knew where her heart truly lied and he knew that she had been nothing but truthful about it the second they coupled up, right? 

“I think that it’s between Jo, Elisa and Shannon and they should grow up and stop throwing stupid names around,” She summarised her thoughts, praying he wouldn’t ask her for the specifics because she’d leave before she got into that mess again. 

“What about me?” 

Valerie beamed at Chelsea, seeing her looking down at her lap, playing with the fabric of her yoga pants. 

“I don’t think you did anything wrong. Elisa just doesn’t want to take the blame. Don’t worry, babes. She’s shady and should’ve told Shannon first.” 

“Really?” Chelsea glanced up at Valerie. 

“Yeah, for sure. I got your back,” She hoped Chelsea would have told her the same thing, then maybe she could have found a way to get Elijah off her case. 

Instead, the girl pulled the other into a big hug. Elijah just sat there, awkwardly. It was evident he didn’t think this through and it was even more clear he didn’t anticipate her coldness, warranted from his absurd jealousy. 

“Thank you, hun!” The girls laughed a little. 

“So, you think Elisa is to blame?” Elijah didn’t seem to get the message. 

Valerie sighed, wishing Bobby would hurry up already, “I really don’t want to talk about it. I just need some time away from the drama. It’s stupid and I really couldn’t care less.” 

The boy seemed a little irritated but Valerie didn’t do a thing to reconcile. 

“I just thought you might have had an opinion on this matter. You’re not really the shy type, are you?” She swore he was just testing her, playing a game to see who would snap first. 

Valerie took a few deep breaths, trying to stop the way her fists were clenching at her side, trying to bite her tongue. But seeing that stupid grin on his face, the same stupid fucking grin that he gave her when she chose him at the recoupling, she couldn’t help it. 

The irritation boiled to the surface, beyond ready to extend from her interior thoughts into the villa and she almost didn’t give a damn who would have heard. 

“I swear-“ Her words started to pour out, strong as her hands began to shake from the rage, when she was interrupted. 

“Valerie, you look like you could use a drink!” Bobby handed her a full glass and sat down right next to her, their legs touching as his hand moved around the back of her waist, pulling her a little closer to him. 

“Thank you,” She beamed, the anger from before slowly dissolving as she gazed into his eyes and felt his comforting touch. 

“What are you guys talking about?” He looked at Elijah while asking the question. The latter briefly rolled his eyes. 

“About all the drama with Jo and Shannon,” Chelsea answered. “Do you think I’m to blame?” 

Bobby didn’t hesitate before answering, “no, not at all. Val and I agreed Elisa’s being unfair. I just hope it blows over soon, it’s too tense between everyone right now.” 

Valerie smiled sweetly at him, comforting him as much as she was able to without Elijah snapping, “it will, babe.” 

All she wanted to do was pull him into a hug, and kiss him softly and take him away from the centre of the drama, somewhere they could be free of it until it would all, eventually, come to a halt. But that was hardly plausible, without creating the very tension that she knew Bobby hated. Especially with how Elijah coughed the second he saw the pair embracing. Fuck this, she wanted to yell, I didn’t want to couple up with you for anything more than friendship. But she put the feelings of the boy next to her, the one she adored to pieces, before her own and remained silent. 

“I thought you said you didn’t care,” Elijah’s words were cold. 

She sighed, trying to calm down for Bobby’s sake. Her words were stern, after careful consideration over how to respond, “I _don’t_ care. It just got brought up earlier. Why is it such a big deal?” 

Bobby’s reactions were mixed; his lips were trying their best to hide a smile, as his eyes were on Valerie, while his slow breathing suggested he was hoping there wouldn’t be any retaliation from either parties, but he knew her well enough to know she wouldn’t create a scene, even if it was just for his own sake. 

“As in five minutes earlier?” It was evident he was referring to when Bobby and her were on the daybeds. 

Valerie was stunned, chuckling out of pure disbelief. What kind of power trip was this dude on, she pondered, and why the fuck is he acting this way? 

“Yeah, no. We wanted time _away_ from the drama. I was just trying to comfort her,” Valerie peered up at him, smirking a little at his defence. 

He met her eyes and smirked back, the two borderline amused. She knew Bobby wasn’t really the jealous type, another thing she _loved_ about him, but damn, if she wasn’t satisfied with hearing the bitterness in his words. 

She wanted to kiss him, right there and then, show every damn person who she belonged with. But those urges subsided, just like before, as she was reminded of how he’d react. There was no way she could put her happiness before his, but even that didn’t matter to her as she knew there would be no happiness if he was upset, if he was overwhelmed in the midst of complications. 

Elijah nodded slowly, his eyes locked on Bobby’s, who seemed to have a hint of humour within them. That seemed to quieten him, despite the stiffness of his position on the lawn. 

It went quiet between them, a moment Valerie was thankful for as she turned to face Bobby and grinned. Her heart fluttered, almost to an extent in which she couldn’t contain the sheer passion she felt toward him. She bit her lip instead, to which he playfully raised an eyebrow to. Valerie choked on her laugh, raising a hand to her mouth to cover it without drawing too much attention to them. She knew she was in deep, she knew she was fucked since she finally admitted to herself she loved someone but she couldn’t even be with him, at all. 

Elijah gave them a side eye, before he muttered he was leaving. Chelsea stayed for a little moment then realised Valerie and Bobby wanted some alone time, “Have fun you two. Just don’t be naughty, we can still see you,” 

“Chelsea!” Valerie exclaimed, laughing as Bobby did, too. 

“Can’t make any promises,” Bobby smirked, pulling Valerie in closer, her head almost resting on his shoulder. _Finally_, she thought. 

Chelsea just giggled as she left, leaving the pair alone, the way Valerie had been wishing for the entire evening, just as they were before that damn interruption. 

“Can we go somewhere more private?” She smiled. 

“Good thinking,” The smirk appeared back on his face. He doesn’t have a clue what I’m about to tell him, she thought. 

They got up and walked through the villa, passing the others outside without so much as a second look. She didn’t need anymore bullshit from anybody, she just needed _him._

Bobby sat down on the roof terrace with Valerie sliding down next to him. He pulled her into a small cuddle and once again, her heart fluttered. She wondered if it would ever spot beating like this whenever they were alone. 

He placed a kiss on her lips and that alone made her want to say what she needed more than ever. 

“I hate this,” Her words tumbled the second they pulled away and instantly, Bobby’s eyes were wide with concern, “Not _us,_ just us, just this,” She mindlessly gestured to her surroundings. He appeared confused now. 

“I mean,” Valerie took a deep breath in. “I hate having to be apart from you, I fucking hate how we can only be like this in secret.” Her tone emulated her entrenched anger.

“I know, babe,” He began to stroke her hair. “I do, too.” 

She turned to look at him, “all I want is to be with you and I can’t even do that. Instead, it’s dealing with stupid girl shit all day and hoping Elijah will finally leave me alone. I swear it’s like he has amnesia, the way he acts like we’re properly coupled up. He knows damn well, like just before. What was that?” 

Valerie’s teeth were gritted and tears pricked in her eyes. Bobby hugged her tightly, stroking her back as he whispered, “he’s a dick.” 

He pulled her away, only to kiss her. The intimacy between them only made the tears pour out harder, forcing her to think about all the missed opportunities they had, all the times this could have been them in the nights or the mornings, without any of the glares or whispers. 

“I feel like this won’t ever stop being a secret. The others act like we haven’t been coupled up right from the start, like I wasn’t forced to choose anybody but you. It hurts so much that I can’t be with you. I can’t even kiss you if I wanted to.”

“I feel the same way, I just want to be with you all the time. But I promise you it won’t be like this much longer, okay?” His hand was on the small of her back, with his forehead resting against her. His other hand rubbed her cheeks, wiping away all the tears that couldn’t help but fall the more she thought about it all. 

“I don’t know how much longer I can do it, though,” She sighed before continuing, lowering her voice as she pulled away from him, “I’m sorry, I’m fine, I’m just overreacting. Too much booze, I think.” She tried to play it off, suddenly afraid to be so open as all the insecurities crept into her mind. What if he doesn’t feel the same way? What if he’s even glad you’re not coupled up? 

“No, no, you’re not. Tell me, what’s on your mind. I know there’s something.” 

She gazed at him, seeing her entire world before her. He was it for her, entirely. There was nobody else she wanted, nobody else who could possibly compare to the boy in front of her. 

“I just want you. I just want you so fucking bad. And it hurts so much, even more than damned Casa Amor because you’re here, right in front of me and all I want to do is be with you but I can’t. And it’s just, I don’t want to keep feeling like we need to sneak off to be together, like it’s some big secret when everyone here should know how I feel about you. And it hurts the more I think about it,” The tears cascaded down her cheeks again, while her body trembled from the nerves and rage, her voice getting louder. Not at Bobby, never at him, but the villa, the whole world, the cursed forces keeping them apart. “You know why it hurts so much? Because I, I, I love you, isn’t that just fucked up?” 

The two pair in a strangely comfortable silence for just a second but to Valerie it seemed to dragged on for an eternity, as if the minute somebody breathed a word, suddenly they’d be saying goodbye to the villa for the last time. Their eyes were locked on each others and she could hear each and every heart beat in her ears, booming louder and louder as she began to think about all the ways her confession could go incredibly wrong, down to him not feeling the same, to him thinking it’s crazy or far too early, or to him pretending like he didn’t hear it. The third option would hardly be truthful, if he tried to play it that way, for her words were as strong as they had ever been, her voice almost breaking at the freedom of finally telling him how she felt. 

“You…” Bobby’s breaths were loud, his words coming out shaky as he tried to come to terms with all she had just said, “You love me?” 

There was vulnerability in his eyes and most definitely doubt in his voice. Valerie hated seeing him in that way because all she ever wanted to do was reassure him, with however many words it would take until he finally believed that she really does mean all the things she says to him and she really does feel all the love inside of her. The love. He knows that now. 

“I really do. I love you, Bobby. And I wish I was telling you this under different circumstances but I need you to know. I love you and I hate I can’t tell everybody, right this minute, right off this fucking roof terrace,” He slowly took her hands in his, rubbing them softly while a huge grin appeared on his face, so big it reached his eyes, forcing them to crinkle at the edges. She could hardly see the twinkle in his eyes, the one that was reserved for only her.

“I love you, too,” He pulled her in for a kiss, filled with all the emotions of the past 20-something days, filled with passion and most importantly, filled with love - something they could finally admit their kisses were laced with. 

It all seemed to ease away in that moment; all the drama, all the fights, all that situations that meant they couldn’t be together, all the little things that never seemed to go right for them. They were two happy lovers, in a beautiful villa in Spain. That was what mattered most and that was all that either of them cared about. 

“You know, you’re really sappy,” He pulled apart with a big smile on his face. 

“Fuck off,” Valerie chuckled as she kissed Bobby again. And again. And again. And again. 

They stayed up on the roof terrace until everybody was inside, until they were all asleep. They _loved_ each other. That was all they needed, regardless of the snide remarks it may have bought in the morning. 

Valerie and Bobby held hands, as they snuck past the sleeping islanders, attempting to find their way around in the dark, cautious of making the slightest sound. They managed to make it and quickly found themselves on the day beds, cuddling up close to one another. 

“I love you, Darling, and if us being together causes some drama, I won’t care,” He whispered, his forehead almost touching hers. 

She sighed, caught between wanting to do so but also not hurting his feelings, she loved him for fuck’s sake, “I wouldn’t want to put you through that. You hate that shit.” 

Bobby took Valerie’s hands into his own, pulling her closer if that was even possible, before he placed a delicate kiss on her lips, “Babe, as long as you’re with me I could never hate it.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> highkey just mad about the elijah thing like bro,,, i don't want to do kitchen bits with you please stop
> 
> also i have some other song inspired chapters planned and one is Death by a Thousand Cuts and im scared to write it in case i break my own heart
> 
> (also i chose Darling as my character's pet name bc lass just reminds me of the dog lassie ok bye)


	3. Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the final girl's choice recoupling and Bobby makes good on what he said before Casa Amor. 
> 
> Inspired by Miss Americana & The Heartbreak Prince by Taylor Swift. 
> 
> “No cameras catch my muffled cries, I counted days, I counted miles to see you there and now the storm is coming but  
It’s you and me, that’s my whole world,  
They whisper in the hallways “she’s a bad, bad girl.”  
The whole school is rolling fake dice,  
You play stupid games, you win stupid prizes  
It’s you and me, there’s nothing like this,  
Miss Americana and the Heartbreak Prince,  
We’re so sad, we paint the town blue,  
Voted most likely to run away with you,  
And I don’t want you to go, I don’t really wanna fight, ‘cause nobody’s gonna win.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I changed some of the dialogue to fit better with the story and I also couldn't be bothered replaying.  
Also, I should be studying because I have an exam tomorrow but I got this idea in my head and had been wanting to do something to this song and they worked perfectly so here's the result.
> 
> And this is going off the other two chapters I wrote

The morning was typical to the others in the villa; the abrupt lights flooding the room, stirring everybody awake after a long night of the return party for Hannah and Henrik, which Valerie had enjoyed — the cocktails, the dancing, the fun almost coming back to the villa, with the exception of Lottie’s tension with the returning girl — until the returning boy endlessly grafted on her, despite her attempts to refute his advances. She awoke with Bobby’s arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her close as he kissed her shoulder.

“Morning, Darling.”

She turned around to meet his gaze, eyes soft as he adjusted to the brightness, a soft smile spread across his lips.

“Morning, babe,” Valerie kissed him, her heart swelling at the comfort of his touch. Her head spun, the constant question of ‘how did I get so lucky’ swirling around as they both pulled away momentarily.

The two made idle chatter, some with a few other islanders, before they started their day of lounging around, basking in the glorious Spanish sun much like they had done for all twenty four days they had been there so far.

A pit settled in Valerie’s stomach as she tried to figured out how best to tell Bobby about the events of last night, specifically how uncomfortable Henrik made her. She wished it didn’t happen, that she didn’t have his words inside of her mind as she was cuddled up with the boy she had quickly fallen for. “Bobby doesn’t have to know,” she frowned, just thinking of the memory, as the mixture of anger and apprehension replaced all the contentment and affection she had felt just moments ago.

“Hey,” Bobby’s eyes were wide in concern complimenting the tender approach of his words whilst his hand slowly stroked the small of her back, “Are you okay?”

Before she could answer properly, asking them if they could chat somewhere more private, the chime of a phone and Hope’s voice booming, “I got a text!” took away her perfect opportunity.

The islanders stared at Hope, some excited, others seeming nervous, yet all wondering what the text could possibly be about.

“Islanders! Tonight there will be a girl’s choice recoupling. #GetYourMan #LadiesChoice!”

Valerie beamed at Bobby, her eyes sparkling as the image of her sprouting an adoring recoupling speech in front of everyone, especially Henrik, played out in her mind. He smiled in response, his expression traceless of any doubt or uncertainty and she hoped that maybe he finally realised how much she really did love him.

She pursed her lips, the words at the tip of her tongue, when for the second time this morning, she was interrupted.

“Girls, dressing room. Now,” Lottie instructed, her voice strong like some commanding officer of an army. An army of girl code, Valerie rolled her eyes at the thought. She loved Lottie but each over-the-top girl chat, or rather ‘war council’, irked her a little.

Bobby chuckled at her expression, “Duty calls.”

She pulled him in for one last kiss, smiling against his lips, “I’ll be back before you know it.”

“With girl meetings?” A mocked look of shock appeared on his face as he teased, “It’ll be a few hours, at least.”

Playfully, she rolled her eyes and grinned, winking as she left him to walk up the stairs to the dressing room. Valerie heard the chatter as she approached, almost considering walking all the way back down. She was too tired to deal with the shade constantly been thrown, but on the other hand, you could hardly ever be awake enough to truly put up with it.

Valerie smiled as she entered, making her way over to her wardrobe to avoid the obvious tension between Hannah and Lottie as much as possible. Yet the girls had other plans.

“So, girl’s choice tonight! I am so excited,” Hannah’s voice was ridden with excitement, clearly trying to irritate the pink haired girl on the other side of the room.

“Yeah, we can tell,” Lottie grumbled.

Thumbing through her bikinis, her mind flickered to just days ago when she was coupled up with Elijah, who stopped at nothing to try graft on her despite her insistence that she only saved him for Chelsea. And by miracle of the producers, her and Bobby were coupled again, finally, after so long. She smiled at the memory, of her heart almost bursting out of her chest as she practically ran over the wooden floor to pull him close after he said her name. They were together after so long, after many stolen moments, after countless waves of longing overcame her. She was happy, truthfully, like everything was finally going right for them both in the villa since forces had kept them apart.

“Valerie, how are you feeling?” Chelsea’s cheery voice was considerably music to her ears, silencing the prominent edginess in the room.

She turned to face the girl who was applying a pink lip gloss, “I’m actually feeling really good. I’m just so thrilled that Bobby and I are finally coupled up again and I’m excited to pick him again tonight,” She spared a quick glance across the room, eyeing the girls before she added in a joking manner, “If all goes right, that is.”

She’d be lying if she were to say that was entirely a joke. Nobody had ever blatantly said they fancied Bobby, but there was a little doubt in her mind that she couldn’t trust all the girls. There were little things, here and there, that didn’t quite add up. Like the way her words were minced on a few occasions or how some of the girls attempted to plant seeds out doubt in her mind, however, she was too strong willed to let them ever stay there beyond the simple procession of them in her thoughts.

“Aw babes!” The blonde exclaimed and pulled her into a hug, “I’m so happy for you.”

She chuckled a “thank you, hun,” before she proceeded to flicker through her outfit options once more.

Valerie settled on a two piece swim set that was small to best show off her assets with a cheetah print. She changed and made small conversation with the girls as the uncomfortable feeling of telling Bobby about Henrik crept in, once again. Nothing had happened, she wasn’t interested in the latter, but it still made her slightly nervous. She couldn’t work out whether it was because she’d force herself to recall the events, or whether she was afraid he’d be slightly concerned something did happen. But she told him she loved him and he told her her loved her, too.

Her mind whirled and she sighed deeply in a discontent manner. Running her fingers through her hair one last time, she took off down the stairs before she could dare to stop herself.

The Mallorcan sun homed heat into her body as she searched across the lawn, eyes scouring for just a moment before they settled on Bobby down by the pool with Gary and Noah. She paced toward them, grinning upon her approach, wrapping an arm around him.

Bobby beamed in response until a playful look cascaded his face, “That was quicker than expected. I think I only grew a couple grey hairs in the time you girls were gone.”

Valerie gently nudged his shoulder and giggled, pulling him in for a chaste kiss which the boy happily accepted.

“Can we have a chat, babe?” Her smile remained on her face, even if it didn’t quite reach her eyes, so as not to evoke any dispensable concern from Bobby.

“Of course, Darling,” He tucked a loose hair behind her ear and nodded to the boys.

Her hand was in his, fingers intertwined, as the pair treaded over to the empty daybeds. Valerie felt a sense of calm rush over her, relishing in the comfort the boy next to him always seemed to provide her with, letting all the thoughts weighing her head down float away for even just a second.

The second they sat down, Bobby pulled her in to lay across his chest, her head resting softly on it, listening to his heartbeat. Butterflies fluttered throughout her body, the tiniest of gestures outwardly having the most affect on her, as some sort of affirmation of their mutual love.

“So, I need to tell you something,” Her eyes were focused on the horizon in front of her, whilst the calm she once felt was replaced by the prior sense of discomfort.

She felt Bobby slightly tense beneath her yet his hand across her waist didn’t falter.

“You know how Henrik took me on that date yesterday? He was obviously trying to graft but I shut it down and told him how happy I was with you,” She breathed in, gathering herself before she delved into the topic of men being unable to take no as an answer, “I thought he’d get it, like, there really wasn’t much to get. But he kept trying to pull me for a chat.”

He held her a little tighter, sensing the unpleasantness in the way her voice shook with her recollection. His hand around her waist slowly grazed her skin, the heat of his body soothing her, whilst his other stroked the back of her head.

“What happened?” Nerves were partially present in his question, even if that was not his intention.

“Last night at the party, I stepped away for a bit just for some air. And then he comes up to me, and guess what he says?” She lets out a nervous laugh, a bad habit whenever something absurd arises. “He tried to get me to sleep with him, basically, and he fucking said, ‘Bobby doesn’t have to know’ but you’re the only one I want and I would never do anything to hurt you. I felt uncomfortable that he didn’t get it and that he’d even think I was the type of girl to do something like that.”

Instantly, his arms encased her into a hug from behind. She turned to meet his gaze, returning the embrace as she rested her head on his shoulder.

“I’m so sorry, he’s such a prick,” Valerie pulled away to look at him as he spoke, seeing anger flash across his face. “I can’t believe he’d do that.”

She gulped slowly as her head shook, “How many times do I have to tell everybody that I only want you for them to get the damn message?” Valerie’s brows were furrowed, her eyes beneath paralysed with a display of frustration yet a pitiful softness.

Bobby pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead, “I know, Darling. I’m going to talk to him, okay? I’ll tell him to fuck off and leave you alone.”

There was a hint of humour in his words, although they were sincere with dedication.

“Thank you, babe,” She chuckled gently, her eyes only focused on his as their faces were ever so close. “You’re the best.”

Valerie leaned in, desperate to display her appreciation to the boy, not only because of his promise of standing up for her, but because of all the wonderful ways he made her feel safe and loved, and so endlessly cared for and cherished — the way she always dreamed of alas never found, until now, until the beautiful boy in front of her. He leaned in, too, their lips almost touching as the butterflies returned to her stomach, floating straight to her head making her feel giddy with happiness. This wasn’t like the other intimate moments they shared, where they would tease each other ruthlessly to see who could withstand it the most. This was different, an embracing of the sincerity they both felt toward the other. Their lips slowly touched, a smile on both of their faces, and their kiss evoked endless feelings of bliss within Valerie for she felt so lucky, so tremendously special to have found someone like Bobby. The kiss was short; one of love, security and devout affection, without a single word needing to be uttered to express such feelings.

She almost didn’t want to pull away, hoping she’d be forever blessed by the lightheadedness, the small chill shooting up her spine and the way her body could have bursted with happiness, but she had to.

“I don’t want you to ever feel uncomfortable. I love you too much to let that happen.”

Like it was a reflex, the memory of her practically screaming that she loved him on the roof terrace a few nights ago flashing through her head. And ever since, it was like something had been broken between the two, a new found level of intimacy shared, a new tantalising way her heart was all his, and yet it was like it was all the same, at once, like the words were all they had been thinking for some time now, and the outspokenness of them was an extra layer of stability in their relationship.

“I love you, too.”

They shared one last kiss before Bobby set out to have words with Henrik. She was a little jarred, recalling when Bobby told her that he almost got into it with Lucas in Casa Amor over him picking her and then grafting on another girl the day later.

Valerie strolled over to Lottie and Chelsea in the kitchen, perching on a stool as she listened in on their conversation. Something about Lottie really fancying Gary and Chelsea’s hesitation of picking Elijah again. She nodded in agreement, or shook her head, chimed in with a few words of encouragement and pretended to be entirely focused on their chatter, but her eyes were searching for Bobby, wondering how Henrik would respond.

“You okay, hun?” Lottie’s voice stirred Valerie from her thoughts.

“Oh, yeah, just,” Her eyes faced the counter. “Thinking.”

She had a queasy feeling in the bottom of her stomach, one that seemed to etch deeper the more she thought about it. Her shoulders sunk, unable to shake it. The two girls inched closer, genuine concern on both of their faces. Valerie’s head lifted, catching their gaze on the other side of the counter.

“Something bothering you?”

“Not really Chels,” She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. “I’ve just got a few things on my mind.”

“You wanna have a chat?”

She smiled at Lottie, grateful for her concern, before she shook her head. “I’m sorry, things are so good with Bobby, I shouldn’t even be acting like this.”

Lottie gave her a pressing look as if she knew there was more to be said. And there was and the pink haired girl always had some effect of forcing people to let it all out, so Valerie mumbled, “I just have this feeling like something bad is going to happen.”

Her eyes were removed from the girls in the kitchen, frantically searching for Bobby. She had thought, perhaps that was it, maybe something bad would happen there, but she couldn’t find them and that neither soothed nor induced more chaos into her mind.

“Babes, we won’t let anything bad happen. I get that feeling when I wear new shoes for the first time on a night out. But then I get so many compliments and have so much bubbly that I forget how much my feet hurt!” Chelsea’s bright face showed no sign of confusion, like she had just pieced together the best advice anybody could ever get, yet it left both Valerie and Lottie with blank expressions, pondering what on earth she meant.

“I’m sorry, what?” Lottie’s eyebrow was raised.

“I just mean like, sometimes bad things are inevitable but you gotta have fun and look on the bright side. Like I look so good with my new heels that the blisters in the morning don’t even matter because if I didn’t wear those heels then, when would I have worn them?”

Valerie laughed and smiled, genuinely appreciative of the blonde’s attempt to make her feel better. Chelsea had a way of saying the most outlandish things yet could make them so sweet and encouraging that she was left wondering how somebody could be that positive.

“Thank you, hun. That’s actually,” She looked at them and saw Lottie breaking into laughter, “Really sweet. You’re so right.”

Chelsea basked in the compliment, her face lighting up a little more, if that were even possible.

“I won’t ever let one of my girls live in negativity. We gotta have fun and live! That’s what we’re here for, right? The summer of our lives!” She gestured her hands out in front of her excessively, trying to convey the excitement she backed her words with.

“I’m so glad we’re friends,” Valerie laughed and pulled her in for a hug, feeling the pit inside of her stomach slowly deceasing to have exist and instead, being replaced by a swirl of positivity, a rush of happiness.

Lottie joined in on the hug, the three of them enjoying the purity of friendship, without any drama.

“Hope I’m not interrupting,” Valerie pulled out of the hug to see Bobby grinning at her.

“Never.”

He leaned against the counter, blatantly intending to be sexy, but she just giggled and brought her lips up to his.

“We’ll leave you to it,” Lottie smirked and dragged Chelsea out with her.

“I talked to Henrik and he swore he’ll leave you alone.”

She stood up and hugged him, wrapping her arms around his waist as she rested her head on his chest.

“Thank you lots, babe. I really appreciate that you did that.”

He returned the hug, his hands tightly embracing her while he placed a kiss on her forehead, “Let me know if he tries anything. I’ll get into it with him if he does.”

“Oh yeah?” She lifted her head to gaze up at him. “Reckon you could take him?”

Bobby gave her a mock glare, to which she merely laughed and playfully bit her tongue between her teeth.

“I’m serious, though. It’s just not on,” Valerie kissed him, softly at first before it deepened yet still remained gentle and sweet. Her hands moved to around his neck, then up to his head teasingly playing with his dreads.

She pulled away, smirking in satisfaction at the way he impishly huffed.

“Who do you think’s going to pick you later?” She smiled, still face to face with him.

“I think Hope might. She’s definitely not serious with anyone.”

She giggled, “She better not beat me to it.”

Valerie pecked him softly, parting only to say, “I’m really excited to pick you later. I’ll give the best recoupling speech this place has ever heard.”

“I can’t wait.”

She was reminded of that sinking feeling in her stomach earlier, as it slowly trickled into its place back inside her body.

“I don’t know what I’d do if somebody else picked you. Nobody would but the thought is still scary. It’d be like all the bullshit from before,” Valerie sighed, needing to get it off her chest.

“I’d leave,” His face was serious, reflected in his tone. “I meant what I said the morning of Casa Amor. I’d leave the villa for you.”

Her heart thumped, seeing him so strong about his feelings for her. It gave her butterflies, forcing the biggest grin to gleam upon her lips.

“I’d leave, too, if I couldn’t be with you.”

And with that, the pair shared a deep kiss. She ran her tongue over his lip, teasing, until she felt his hand move lower down the small of her back, slowly grazing her skin before it landed on her ass. Valerie smirked and pulled away, knowing she held all the cards this time. It wasn’t a heartbeat longer until she kissed him again. And then again. And then again, enjoying the blissful feeling of pleasure building up inside of her, alongside the most almost heart-wrenching amount of love she had ever felt.

She could have sworn she heard footsteps approaching yet they halted, almost cautiously. She brushed it off, concluding that it was likely someone who didn’t want to intrude on their conversation — for what could have been the first time since nobody else seemed to comprehend the idea of privacy.

“Tease,” Bobby rolled his eyes and smiled, a blush adorning his cheeks.

“Don’t you know it.” She winked, before giving him another kiss. Valerie felt his tongue begging for access when she drew away, wanting to keep him on his toes, building up the anticipation for later.

“Fuck,” He muttered, admiring her humoured expression regardless of her teasing demeanour.

“I’ll be back,” She smirked, feeling his eyes burn into her body as she walked away.

Valerie padded back inside when she almost clashed with Jo in the little walkway between inside and out. She muttered a small “sorry,” and quickly sped off, her eyes instantly darting to the floor without hesitation. Jo had appeared to have it out for Valerie, always making snide little comments here and there, always complaining about something. She tried her best to not let it get to her, reminding herself constantly that sometimes people just don’t like other people. Yet there was ever an inkling in the back of her mind that something deeper was at play, rather than just a clash of personalities.

She dabbed some lip balm on her lips and grabbed her water bottle, heading back outside to the lawn. Henrik approached, just as she walked through the door.

“Hey, I just wanted to apologise for yesterday. I shouldn’t have come on so strong. Bobby pulled me for a chat and he’s a good lad. He looked like he was going to punch me if I said the wrong thing,” Henrik laughed, perhaps out of awkwardness and what could only be considered his best attempt to lighten the situation. Only, Valerie just blinked, wanting to get the conversation over sooner rather than later.

“Anyway,” He cleared his throat. “I was a knob. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable and I’m sorry if I did.”

She gave him a small smile, trying to be polite, and nodded, “Thanks.”

A text chimed somewhere on the lawn, breaking the tension in the air. It was a challenge.

Valerie and Bobby got all of the questions right — all but one. The classic question of dog or cat. He wrote dog, she chose cat, admitting that she had always wanted one growing up. He smiled and kissed her on the cheek, then leaned in to whisper, “We can get both.”

The challenge was like confirmation for their future. The distant, with children and marriage, but the closer future, too, like where they’d spend Christmas. She couldn’t help the way her heart beat with each answer they shared, besides the pet question, as she imagined how life would play out, little scenarios here and there making her head whirl. But she also couldn’t help the little smirk she had to hide when Jo and Ibrahim got some of their questions wrong. She had nothing against Rahim, thinking he was a genuinely good guy, but it was Jo she despised. Jo with her little rebuttals and incessant need to insult her or degrade her. She hoped it worked, for his sake, despite knowing the chances were slim because after all, they’d known each other six days and were girlfriend and boyfriend after only four.

Bobby and her held hands as they walked back to the villa, then departed to get ready for the evening. Valerie chose a skin tight red dress, revealing a good amount of her thighs and left little to the imagination. There was frivolous chatter in the dressing room among the girls, no big drama like usual and things seemed to finally be livening up.

She dragged her eyeliner across her lid, making a sharp flick at the edge. The girl backed away a little from the mirror, checking it was even, only to be meet with Jo’s eyes piercing her in the reflection. Turning her head, the short haired girl faced the large standing mirror, applying her red lipstick. Valerie tried to shrug it off, yet she couldn’t ignore the weight on her shoulders as she finished her makeup.

The girls walked out together, however, the second she saw all the boys lined up in front of the firepit, the sinking feeling in her gut fired up again. Bobby beamed the second his eyes rested on Valerie. He swore under his breath, watching her curves illuminated by the fairy lights and fire. She smirked, winking at him before taking her seat on the bench.

Jo sat to the right of her, with Chelsea on the left. All of the islanders waited with bated breath for incoming text. Her gaze was fixated on Bobby, in one of his shirts that was only half buttoned up and shorts. Her heart pounded, awaiting the moment she could recouple with him for what would most likely be the last time.

Ding. Hope read the text and jumped up, beginning her speech for Noah.

Valerie twitched slightly, hoping she’d be able to pick soon to get it over with. But then it was Lottie’s turn and she chose Gary. Hannah was next to go, choosing Elijah, followed by Chelsea who chose Henrik.

Bobby and Ibrahim remained, standing confident as everybody knew how this would plan out: Jo would choose Ibrahim and Valerie would choose Bobby.

That calmed her mind, allowing her to sit a little stiller as the majority of her nerves seemed to escape her. There was another beep. But it wasn’t Valerie’s phone.

Jo stood up, taking a few breaths before she smiled, maybe even smirked, thought Valerie, and began. She drowned her words out for the most part, eyes all so consumed by the boy in front of her that would be hers, once again, in a matter of minutes.

“He’s got a great sense of humour and has a really lively presence in the villa,” For the first time, Valerie’s gaze averted to the blonde on her right as she swallowed thickly and the nervous energy came tumbling back.

That doesn’t sound like Ibrahim, the words swirled in her head, unless he’s different when they’re alone.

She took another breath, hoping it would clear her mind and reverted her attention back to Bobby. He grinned, staring back at her, his excitement hardly containable.

“So, the boy I want to couple up with is,” Jo paused for a moment and Ibrahim beamed at her, obviously anticipating his name to be said aloud. Only, she said, “Bobby.”

Valerie’s heart dropped, shattered, as she tried to take in what just happened. She blinked rapidly, brows furrowing; an identical expression on the boy just chosen. The islanders gasped and watched on, entirely shocked, including Ibrahim who glanced down, suddenly procuring an interest in the wooden floor. The situation was unbelievably ridiculous, so much so that her nervous habit of not taking the most serious situations to heart jumped out.

“What?” She cackled, breaking the silence around the firepit. Nobody moved. Not Bobby, not Ibrahim. Nobody dared.

Bobby’s jaw dropped, his eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights as his fingers nervously patted on the side of his leg. He shook his head at Valerie, the dread evident that the worst case scenario had just occurred.

She spared a glance up at Jo, who stood there as if she had won the entire fucking show on her own. A smirk covered her face while everybody else remained clueless and desperately confused.

Although her heart was in her throat, beating erratically yet almost not at all, she met her boy’s eyes and gave him a small nod. He slowly walked over, focused on Valerie the entire time he did so. For the first time ever, she was thankful Jo was next to her as Bobby sat down to her right.

Nobody clapped. They hardly had any reason to. Jo didn’t couple up with her boyfriend and instead, she coupled up with the boy Valerie loved. The best person to ever grace her life. And it was like the disaster recoupling all over again, except this time, it was love. Open and admitted love.

She met Bobby’s eyes as he took her hand, lightly rubbing over her thumb. It was soothing, despite the huge mess that just ensued in front of them all.

“Good thing we talked about it,” He tried to joke, but neither of their hearts were truly in it as the rest of the villa seemed to fade out around them.

“Do you want to leave?” She gulped, ready to pack her bags if he said yes because she couldn’t bear to be coupled up with somebody that wasn’t him, not again. But in her head, she knew she wouldn’t leave if he didn’t want to.

“Do you want to?” His eyes were intense as he whispered.

Her breathing grew rapid, half scared shitless and half filled with adrenaline, surprisingly enough.

“I do but only if you want to.”

He smiled, “I do.”

The sound of a text and vibration next to her bought them both into reality. The other islanders watched, but none of them heard a thing. That was just about the only benefit of sharing a communal bedroom; you got really good at whispering.

With shaking hands, she stood up and studied the ground wondering how she’d word it all. This was most definitely not the recoupling speech she had in mind and all the wonderful things she’d planned to say escaped her entirely.

Bobby squeezed her hand at her side to which she smiled. The adrenaline took over, her thoughts spiralling into how lucky she was to be leaving the villa with him, how grateful she was for having fallen in love with him, and she began her speech.

“Obviously, this isn’t the way that I thought tonight would go. I’ll be honest, I had this cute little speech ready but that doesn’t matter now,” Valerie shrugged her shoulders and looked up. “I came here to find love. And I found it,” She paused to turn to the boy beside her and was met with pure adoration spread across his face and she felt those all-consuming butterflies once again.

“I found love in the most hilarious person I’ve ever met who makes me laugh until I cry,” She chuckled. “But he also makes me feel so loved and secure and comfortable. And he’s the kind of person I’ve always wanted and I can’t believe I’m lucky enough to be in love with him.”

His eyes teared up and she squeezed his hand this time, the two sharing the most heartwarming of smiles.

“He should be standing there, right in front of me,” She glanced over to where Ibrahim was standing. “Not beside me.”

She took a moment to look at all the other islanders, who shared intensive looks toward her, pondering what she was going to do next. Chelsea looked like she was going to cry and when Valerie smiled at her, she did.

“I’ve had the best summer of my life. Despite all the drama and the pettiness and all the other bumps in the road, it’s been wonderful. I’ve met some truly amazing friends and I don’t think I’ve ever been this happy. However, this is Love Island and to me, that means being coupled up with the person you love. That’s why I’m not going to recouple,” She heard a few gasps, most likely out of sheer confusion. She turned to Bobby, eyes only focused on him as she announced her departure. “Instead, I’m going to leave the villa.”

Valerie sat down and grinned the second she noticed the longing gaze her love-struck man adorned.

“I love you,” He whispered and pulled her in for a quick kiss until the islander’s bewilderment interrupted them.

“Babes, are you sure?” Chelsea wrapped her arms around the girl, eyes soft and delicate.

“Yeah,” She confidently nodded because despite the circumstances, she knew it was the right choice for she’d be leaving in love.

All the islanders, besides, of course, Jo, furrowed their brows and looked back and forth; between Valerie, Bobby and themselves.

“Oh shit,” Lottie muttered, pouting.

The air was thick under the stars and the crackling of the fire was as loud as ever, whilst everybody took in the news.

“What do I do?” Ibrahim breathed softly, his words almost lost among the chaos. His head hung low, distraught at his own girlfriend choosing another boy.

Bobby jumped to his feet, his fingers remaining intertwined with Valerie’s, “Judge Bobby might be able to help this case.”

Valerie laughed, beaming up at his bright face, admiring the way he always knew how to lighten the mood. Nothing could ever be bad with him, nothing, no matter how unexpected or inexplicably strange, could halt the love she felt for him.

“You see, there’s this girl and I love her to bits. Both figuratively and literally,” His girl giggled, blushing as she recalled all the intimate moments they shared where nobody had ever made her feel that much pleasure. It didn’t matter to her that the joke didn’t entirely work and it definitely didn’t need to be announced that he only said it to hear her laugh. “She’s not like any other girl I’ve been with before. She’s incredible and she worked through all my defences to somehow steal my heart. And she looked so beautiful while she did. I know we have a really good future ahead of us and all I want is for her to be by my side while we figure it out together.”

She remained with a ridiculously large grin on her face, eyes practically tearing up with each word he proclaimed.

“I really do love her and like a wonderful woman just said, ‘I’ve had the best summer of my life, however, this is Love Island’ and I don’t want to stay here if it’s not with you,” He faced Valerie with a crooked grin, love ever-present in his tone, his gaze, his hold on her hand. “So, I’m going to leave the villa, too.”

The instant he sat back down, Valerie and Bobby kissed and the sparks almost electrocuted her as she leaned into it, the two deepening the kiss. One of his hand rested on the back of her neck and the other was down at her waist, squeezing in the adoring way she loved. One of her hands was on the back of his neck while the other rested on his shoulder. Once again, they were off in their own little world, ignorant to all the people around, least of all the cameras.

The islanders began to cheer, slowly but surely, yet the atmosphere remained tense and all-consuming, the air hardly moving as they all tried to truly comprehend the night.

“We’re gonna miss you guys but I’m happy for you two,” Gary was the first to congratulate the pair with sincerity in his words.

“It’s not going to be the same without you,” Lottie chimed in, an honest sadness casted on her face.

“I can’t believe it,” Hope appeared only half-disappointed to be seeing the two go.

“Thank you all,” Valerie rested her head on Bobby’s shoulder and he held her closer with his arm snaked around her waist.

The islanders expressed their reactions; happy for the two but apologetic toward the circumstances. It was encouraging to hear it all, particularly how she always had a lingering doubt that maybe they didn’t approve.

“At least this turned out okay for you two,” Ibrahim sighed, still stood at the firepit ridden with hesitation about Jo. “I really wish you the best.”

Valerie peered at Jo, seeing the girl entirely content with all that had just unfolded. She practically wore a smirk that screamed satisfaction. And that’s when it clicked. The hatred out of nowhere, the snide remarks, all the looks from today, her strange encounter with Jo, the footsteps in the kitchen when Bobby and her were talking about leaving if somebody were to choose him — she was playing the game. She was playing the game and essentially, she won.

She walked over to Ibrahim and pulled him in for a hug, sympathy coating her voice as she whispered, “It worked out okay for you, too. You’ve seen her true colours. Look how happy she is,” He picked his eyes off the floor to look at Jo and darted them back down when he took in the shit-eating grin on her face.

“She was playing the game. I’m sorry it happened like this but you deserve so much better than that.”

He smiled for the first time since his name wasn’t called, even if it was small, “Thank you, Valerie. That means a lot to me. Now go, celebrate with your man. You’re out of here, out of all the bullshit and I know you two will make it.”

“Thank you.”

She pulled away, only to find all of the other islanders surrounding them, pulling Rahim into hugs, whispering words of encouragement.

It was wrong, yes, and she felt incredibly sorry for him, and partially for her and Bobby, but a pleasurable feeling mounted itself in her stomach where the sinking one used to be, knowing that Jo was exposed for her true colours and her plan blew up in her face. There had always been a peculiar thing about her that Valerie could never put her finger on, albeit she now knew. Even if was a little too late.

Jo remained on the bench, unsure of what to do as her gaze flickered between the fire, Ibrahim and the stars. Valerie saw this as an opportunity to settle it, once and for all.

“I guess behind that awkward girl persona there’s a devious player,” Jo didn’t dare meet her eyes as she stood in front of the girl.

“What?” Half-heartedly, Jo pretended to not have a clue what she was talking about, despite the obvious fact it was all too clear.

“You were playing the game. I got to hand it to you, though, it was well played. You know, if BMX racing doesn’t work out, you could always consider acting as a career.”

The girl just sighed, barely mustering any energy to respond. Valerie felt empowered, high of the adrenaline and satisfied at finally giving somebody a piece of her mind, finally not having to play peace maker.

“I could never figure out why you hated me so much. And I still haven’t but I don’t care anymore. I’m happy and I’m in love and that’s enough to make me feel like I’ve won, not that I even cared about that anyway,” She took a moment to reflect, fully aware this would be the last time she’d ever speak to the girl, and decided to be condescending, just like the girl in front of her always had been. “Good luck.”

Jo stuttered and splattered but fell short of saying anything back. By the time she spun around, Bobby was reaching out for her arm.

“Should we go pack, Darling?”

He looked beautiful with the moonlight illuminating his face and the thousands of stars twinkling above him, as if the whole sky had come out to say goodbye. Lucky was the only word she could use to describe how she felt. Complete and utterly lucky.

“I’ll help you pack, babes!” Chelsea danced over, caught between the paradoxical extremes of excitement and melancholy.

“Me too,” Lottie smiled.

“I’m coming,” Hope beamed.

Marisol and Hannah also came with and she couldn’t help but be reminded of the very first day she stepped into the villa with four of those girls. Back then, she had no idea how everything were to pan out, she had no expectations for her summer, only that she hoped to find love and have fun. And she did, tremendously. Perhaps the latter was rather vague at times, skewed when drama dragged on for eternities, but looking back, she’d had the summer of a lifetime.

Up in the dressing room, she grabbed her suitcase and began folding her clothes, smiling at the memories associated with each outfit. The girls chattered and posed questions, asking her how she was feeling and what she’ll do when she leaves.

“I don’t know what’s next, honestly. It’ll be strange to be back on the outside but I’ve got Bobby so the little things hardly matter. I’m going to miss you girls heaps, though,” Some more than others, she thought.

“We’ll miss you, too!”

The five of them hugged and despite all they’d been through together, she was happy to have shared her journey with them. And Valerie was more than excited to start life outside the villa, even if it were to take some adjusting.

“Watch out for Jo, yeah?” She began when she pulled away, needing to get her last merit of girl code in. “I don’t like drama or talking shit but I really mean this. I’m rooting for you girls.”

“I know you wouldn’t say it unless you had to so thank you. Girls always gotta have each other’s backs,” Lottie winked.

She began to pack her makeup into her case, placing each product away as the girls started talking about their plans for when they all catch up outside the villa. She agreed to them, as did everybody else, but she had a feeling a lot of it was just theory, just little ideas that would shortly be forgotten about.

In the middle of zipping her suitcase, footsteps were heard and a voice followed them.

“Darling, how’s the packing going?” She leapt to her feet, hugging him tightly.

“Bobby, you have to learn how to knock,” Marisol rolled her eyes.

“When we get out of here, there’ll be no need for knocks.” He winked at the girl in his arms who just laughed and placed a kiss on his flushed cheek.

“You’re so cute it makes me sick,” Lottie pretended to gag, inciting giggles from the group.

Valerie glanced around once again, taking in the room in its entirety; clothes sprawled across the floor, cluttered makeup, a random hairbrush in the corner, and of course, the girls who she shared it with. She’d never forget this place, never forget the absurdity of it all — of falling in love on a reality show. She glanced at Bobby; the boy she had well and truly fallen for, the boy she saw the rest of her life with, the boy who made her the happiest she had ever been. She was positive there weren’t enough words in the world to express exactly how she felt, like the feeling was beyond indescribable that it made her head turn just at the thought of having to gather them all, of having to decipher each and everyone because all she wanted to do was embrace the feeling of pure love. No bullshit, no games, no trust issues, no uncertainty, just love. The way that she had always wished it would be, through the other boys she’d fancied or dated for a while who could never compete to Bobby. The love she believed in but began to doubt she’d receive after countless times where she’d been left disappointed and heartbroken and hopelessly lost. But he was nothing like that. There was something real here, despite the blatant irony that they met on a show in an all-expenses paid villa stay in Spain, and she hoped it would last forever.

He carried her suitcase down the stairs, his hand in hers, with possibly the biggest smiles on their faces in a while. The islanders stood around the door, chanting words of encouragement and support as they said their goodbyes.

“Thank you for being my bra, Chelsea,” Valerie smiled at the blonde.

“We’ll always be each other’s bras,” She pulled her into a tight squeeze, once more. “We’re going for drinks so soon that I can already taste the bubbly on my tongue!”

Valerie and Bobby hugged the rest of the islanders, bursting with the excitement of being together on the outside for the first time, besides when they went to the supermarket for snacks. His words from the speech earlier tumbled around amongst her thoughts, where not an inch of doubt that she made the right decision lingered. A text arrived for them to leave, forcing their final farewells and officially commending the beginning of the future.

Bobby stopped in the door way, his arms placed on her waist as he leaned in, kissing her softly but purposefully. She kissed him back and poured it all into the kiss: her gratefulness, her joy, her adoration for him, absolute love. They both pulled away, smiling at each other as they knew this was merely the beginning for them. He pressed his nose against hers, whispering a gentle, “Boop.” Their hands intertwined so easily and walked down the driveway, into the crisp summer air. Bobby and Valerie had each other and that was all that mattered. All was right in the world with the rest of their lives together commencing as they left the very place that it all started a mere 25 days ago.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> basically i hate jo and i love chelsea and spending 10 gems to have a secret handshake with her was the best thing i ever did  
let me know what yall think bc i have never been in love and i usually write about pain and suffering (the complete antithesis to love and all that happy stuff) and with my own characters so these are a little different to me but i love this game sm

**Author's Note:**

> I typically write in first person so this was a little different to me but let me know what you think. I'm so obsessed with this game and Bobby yikes


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